Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology can be used to obtain three-dimensional information of an environment by measuring distances to objects. A Lidar system may include at least a light source configured to emit a light pulse and at least a detector configured to receive a returned light pulse. The returned light pulse or light beam may be referred to as echo light beam. Based on the lapse time between the emission of the light pulse and detection of the returned light pulse (i.e., time of flight), a distance can be obtained. The light pulse can be generated by a laser emitter then shaped (collimated or focused) through a lens or lens assembly. The returned light pulse may be received by a detector located near the laser emitter. The returned light pulse may be scattered light from the surface of an object.
In some situations, multiple light pulses or sequence of light pulses may be emitted into an environment for scanning across a large area. In some cases, a Lidar system may utilize a scanner to steer one or more light beams in one or more directions following a scanning pattern. It is important to provide an improved scanner control for a Lidar system thereby improving the efficiency of sampling the environment or providing adaptive scanning patterns.